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Atlantic Notes: Green, Johnson, Beaulieu

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MLive’s Ansar Khan expects the Red Wings to wait until close to the trade deadline before moving any of their players.  The strategy worked well for them last as they were able to garner a strong return for pending UFA defender Brendan Smith.  They hold arguably the top trade chip on the back end this season in Mike Green and given his $6MM cap hit, interested teams may prefer to wait to acquire him anyway to reduce the amount of salary they’re taking on.  However, it’s also a possibility that doing so could wind up delaying the trade market on the back end as other buyers look to see what the benchmark will be.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Goaltender Chad Johnson’s decision to leave his hometown Calgary to go back to Buffalo caught some by surprise. The netminder acknowledged to Postmedia’s Eric Francis that he did receive an offer from the Flames but wanted more of a challenge at this stage of his career.  Suffice it to say, the decision hasn’t panned out too well; while he received more money ($2.5MM) than he may have got had he stayed in Calgary, Johnson has struggled mightily with the Sabres, posting a 3.64 GAA and a .884 SV% in 18 appearances this season.
  • Still with the Sabres, defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has left the team to return back to Buffalo to be evaluated for a possible concussion, notes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. He has already been placed on IR.  If he is indeed diagnosed with a concussion, it will be his second one already of the season.  Beaulieu’s first year with Buffalo has not gone well when he has been on the ice either as he has dropped to the third pairing and is averaging his lowest ice time since 2014-15 while tallying just a goal and three assists in 34 games.

Poll: Who Is The Most Valuable Trade Chip Available?

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The NHL trade deadline is now just over a month away. On February 26th, teams from around the league will definitively lay forth their plan for the rest of the season. Sellers, will send expiring or aging assets off to contenders while trying to build for the future while buyers will happily snatch up players and give them a taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

So, who is the most valuable asset out there?

There is obviously a lot of debate over who really is on the market, so if we’re to answer the question above we’ll have to choose from some sort of list. Luckily Frank Seravalli of TSN maintains such a list on his Trade Bait board, a ranking of the top assets based on skill and availability. Right now that list is headed by Evander Kane, as it seems nearly guaranteed that he’ll be moved to a contender before next month’s deadline. After all, the Sabres haven’t even approached him about a potential contract extension.

It also includes some players who haven’t heard there names in the news much, but seem like logical assets that might be available for the right price. Below we’ve listed the top-10 options from TSN’s board, but feel free to add an option in the comments. If you feel as though Erik Karlsson or John Tavares are truly on the market, vote for the “other” option and make sure you explain why. You can also leave a comment if you don’t think one of the players listed is actually available.

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2018 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 1-10

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With the halfway point of the season now behind us and the trade deadline fast approaching, it’s time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2018.  Here is the first half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from writers Gavin Lee, Brian La Rose, Nate Brown, Zach Leach and Holger Stolzenberg. We ran numbers 11-20 yesterday, and will release an honorable mention group tomorrow.

1. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders — There was never any doubt that Tavares would hold the top spot on this list, and he was ranked #1 on all five ballots. The superstar Islanders center will only be 27 on July 1st, and could challenge Connor McDavid for the largest cap hit in the league if a bidding war starts over his services. Even with all of his career success, Tavares may have not experienced a season quite like this one, as he is currently tied for second in league scoring with 54 points in 46 games. There is very little negative that can be said about him, and teams could legitimately change their franchise direction by landing the biggest fish on the market.

2. John Carlson, D, Washington Capitals — Though it’s a steep drop off after Tavares, Carlson is an elite free agent in his own right. It’s rare that a defender of his caliber hits the open market, and the fact that he only just turned 28 makes him a target for 31 teams in the NHL. Logging more than 26 minutes a night this season on a depleted Washington blueline, Carlson trails only John Klingberg in terms of scoring from defensemen with 35 points through 45 games. Though it’ll be a tough case to make at the end of the season, Carlson should get some Norris consideration and could land a huge long-term contract.

3. Evander Kane, F, Buffalo Sabres — Everyone’s favorite trade rumor is headed to free agency after the season, as the Sabres haven’t even approached him to discuss an extension. Unless he’s so enamored with his next team and signs a contract right away, he should be able to pick a landing spot from a dozen or more suitors in the offseason. How many years teams will offer him has been disputed at times, but at just 26 he’s one of the youngest free agents to hit the market and should provide several years of prime performance.

4. James van Riemsdyk, F, Toronto Maple Leafs — van Riemsdyk doesn’t carry the puck a ton, and doesn’t often score from far out, but might be the most dangerous scorer in the league within five feet of the net. He’s well on his way to another 30 goal season this year, even while playing the fewest average minutes since he was 21. Expected to ask for something around $36MM over six years, there will be no shortage of teams looking to add him to their powerplay.

5. James Neal, F, Vegas Golden Knights — Before this season, free agency or even the expansion draft, we looked at Neal’s incomparable consistency and how he was headed for a big contract on the open market. He’s never recorded fewer than 21 goals in a season, and already has 18 this year. Obviously a huge part of what the Vegas Golden Knights have done to start their franchise history, they’ll try to retain him on a reasonable deal. If they can’t, he might just end up scoring 20 for his fifth organization in 2018-19.

6. Josh Bailey, F, New York Islanders — It’s not just Tavares that the Islanders have to worry about leaving this summer, but Bailey (and de Haan below) too. He and Anders Lee have formed the perfect wing pair for Tavares this season, and Bailey is going to blow his career-high in points—set only last season—out of the water just at the right time. He’s 28, has 50 points in 42 games and is a lethal powerplay setup man. Who doesn’t want to add that on the open market?

7. Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary Flames — Maybe underrated because of his personality and lack of flash on the ice, Backlund is nevertheless one of the most valuable assets available this summer. Soon to be 29, he’s coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons and is a legitimate long-term center option. Centers with 50-point upside and responsible defensive ability don’t hit the market that often, and Backlund should be able to cash in because of it.

8. Paul Stastny, C, St. Louis Blues — Speaking of centers, Stastny is in good position to cash in on one last multi-year contract. The 32-year old is still logging big minutes for the St. Louis Blues, and though he may not be the 70-point man of his youth is still an effective weapon at both ends of the rink. A decline is coming, but with 33 points through 47 games this season including 20 even-strength assists, he will still be able to command an audience on the first day of free agency.

9. Calvin de Haan, D, New York Islanders — That’s right, the third Islanders player in the top 10 is de Haan, who has steadily developed into an excellent all-around defenseman. While he doesn’t have the offensive upside of Carlson, his youth—he’ll turn 27 in May—and ability to plug into a top-4 will still have teams knocking down his door. Our writers had him placed everywhere from #7 to #16, but no one disagrees he’ll have plenty of options on the open market.

10. Mike Green, D, Detroit Red Wings — There was a time, nearly a decade ago, when Green was the shining example of an offensive defenseman. Two years in a row, starting in 2009, he finished second in Norris voting behind a more well-rounded player—first to Duncan Keith, then Zdeno Chara—despite point totals in the seventies. In 2008-09 he even recorded 31 goals, the highest total from a defenseman since Kevin Hatcher in 1992-93, and unmatched in the years since. At 32 years old he won’t be putting up 70 point seasons anymore, but is still an excellent puck mover and can quarterback a powerplay. He’ll likely be one of the stars of the trade deadline and free agent day.

Morning Notes: Crawford, Trade Bait, Green

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The Chicago Blackhawks are sitting at 50 points in the standings, but somehow find themselves in last place in the Central Division. Their 22-17-6 record would be good enough for fourth in the Atlantic and fifth in the Pacific, but unfortunately they find themselves playing in a division where all seven teams have positive goal differentials. Now, even as they struggle to climb the Central ladder, they could lose one of their most important players for the rest of the year.

Corey Crawford is currently on injured reserve, and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the goaltender is suffering from vertigo-like symptoms. It’s not the first time symptoms like this have surfaced for Crawford, who dealt with them in 2016 as well. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote yesterday that coach Joel Quenneville believed last week that Crawford would return, but Lazerus claims things have complicated since then. The Blackhawks resume their schedule on Saturday, when they will take on the New York Islanders.

  • TSN’s Frank Seravalli has updated his Trade Bait board, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Michael Grabner, Jack Johnson, Nick Holden and Aaron Dell all joining the list. The emphasis on New York Rangers’ players is clear, with Seravalli writing that they’re a “team to watch” heading into the trade deadline. The Rangers are in a playoff spot currently, but are stuck in the middle of a super-competitive Metropolitan Division and could fall out of the race with a bad week or two. If the team doesn’t believe they can really make an impact in the playoffs, the distinct lack of sellers on the market could make them consider moving some of their expiring pieces.
  • Mike Green has not been asked to waive his trade protection yet by GM Ken Holland, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports on TSN’s Insider Trading that when he’s eventually asked, the Detroit Red Wings will be willing to eat some of his salary to get a deal done. LeBrun notes Tampa Bay as a possible fit for the powerplay specialist, though is quick to note that no discussions have been had just yet.

Western Notes: Tanev, Anisimov, Boedker

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The Vancouver Canucks may be ready to ship off several players such as Thomas Vanek and Erik Gudbranson, but one player whose name doesn’t come up as often is defenseman Chris Tanev. Of course, in the past Vancouver has been reluctant to trade their top defenseman, who is a club leader and one of the longest-tenured players in Vancouver.

However, The Athletic’s Mike Halford (subscription required) writes that this is the perfect time for the team to move the 28-year-old Tanev. While there are some solid defensemen likely to be available at the deadline, most are pending unrestricted free agents like Detroit’s Mike Green or Pittsburgh’s Ian Cole or are locked into long-term deals such as Ottawa’s Dion Phaneuf ($7MM AAV through 2021). The Canucks might get quite a return for someone like Tanev, who is locked up at a reasonable price at 4.45MM for another two years after this one. Tanev, who is known for making everyone better around him, could likely slide into more than half of any playoff team’s top four, making him quite valuable.

“He would get great value. There would be large demand for Chris Tanev and his services around the NHL, that’s for sure,” TSN’s Mike Johnson said in the article. “He’s a first-rounder [in return]. From a good team that’s going to pick 28th or 29th, at the bottom of the first round? I think so. Or maybe not the best prospect, but the third or fourth best prospect in an organization.”

  • Tracey Myers of NHL.com tweets that Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov, who has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury attempted to practice today, but coach Joel Quenneville said he was “just OK” and might miss even more time. The 29-year-old Anisimov has 13 goals for Chicago this year.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz writes (subscription required) that the San Jose Sharks are hoping to get more production from winger Mikkel Boedker after he was a healthy scratch in the team’s last game before their bye-week started. The veteran who signed with the team two offseasons ago, is struggling even more in his second year with the team. He had 10 goals and 26 points last year and so far has only three goals and six assists. “We need some production out of him,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s the bottom line. If he’s not producing points, he’s got to at least be producing chances to score. When he’s not, he can’t help us.”

2018 All-Star Rosters

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The NHL released the rosters for this year’s All-Star game in Tampa Bay, leading to an inevitable onslaught of discussion over who missed out and who didn’t deserve to go. The event will take place on January 27-28th. The full rosters can be found below:

Atlantic Division:

F Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning (captain)
F Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning
F Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
F Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers
F Brad Marchand – Boston Bruins
F Jack Eichel – Buffalo Sabres
D Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
D Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
D Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings
G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
G Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens

Head Coach: Jon Cooper

Metropolitan Division:

F Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals (captain)
F Taylor Hall – New Jersey Devils
F Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
F Josh Bailey – New York Islanders
F John Tavares – New York Islanders
F Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
D Seth Jones – Columbus Blue Jackets
D Noah Hanifin – Carolina Hurricanes
D Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
G Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
G Braden Holtby – Washington Capitals

Head Coach: Barry Trotz

Central Division:

F Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche
F Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg Jets
F Brayden Schenn – St. Louis Blues
F Eric Staal – Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
D P.K. Subban – Nashville Predators (captain)
D Alex Pietrangelo – St. Louis Blues
D John Klingberg – Dallas Stars
G Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators
G Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets

Head Coach: Peter Laviolette

Pacific Division:

F Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers (captain)
F Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames
F Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks
F James Neal – Vegas Golden Knights
F Rickard Rakell – Anaheim Ducks
F Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
D Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings
D Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes
G Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
G Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights

Head Coach: Gerard Gallant

East Notes: Green, Phaneuf, Jenner, Panthers

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Red Wings defenseman Mike Green is shaping up to be one of the top rental players available between now and the trade deadline.  Accordingly, MLive’s Ansar Khan speculates that Detroit could try to land a late first-round pick for his services from a team that is guaranteed to be playoff-bound.  If not, he thinks a pair of second rounders could be a realistic ask, especially considering the fact that Brendan Smith was able to yield a second and a third-round pick a year ago.  Green has a $6MM cap hit but if the Wings are willing to retain on it (something that seems likely), they should be able to land a sizable return for his services.

More from the East:

  • The Senators will be without defenseman Dion Phaneuf for a second straight game tonight against the Panthers, reports Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. Unlike several other Ottawa players who are dealing with injuries or illness, this one is at least for a happier reason as Phaneuf is with family following the recent birth of his daughter.  He’ll be ready to go following the holiday break.
  • The NHL has rescinded the game misconduct penalty given to Blue Jackets winger Boone Jenner, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). This is notable as players who accumulate two game misconducts for stick infractions within 41 games or three in total for any reason during the season receive an automatic one-game suspension.  This penalty being taken back puts Jenner back at a clean slate for the season.
  • Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo has resumed skating, notes Walter Villa of the Miami Herald. However, he is still several weeks away from being able to return to the lineup from his leg injury.  Villa adds that winger Jamie McGinn’s absence from their game last night was due to an upper-body injury.  The veteran is listed as day-to-day.

2017-18 Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Detroit Red Wings.

Last Season: 33-36-13 record (79 points), seventh in Atlantic Division (missed playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $-3.02MM per CapFriendly—including Johan Franzen ($3.95MM), who will go on LTIR.

Key Additions: D Trevor Daley (free agency, Pittsburgh), F/D Luke Witkowski (free agency, Tampa Bay), F David Booth (PTO), F P.A. Parenteau (PTO)

Key Departures: F Drew Miller (free agency, unsigned), F Andreas Athanasiou (RFA, unsigned)

[Related: Detroit Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Anthony ManthaPlayer To Watch: F Anthony Mantha – Mantha is an enigma for many Red Wings fans. Despite having the size, strength and skating ability to be a dominant force in the league, he at times drifts into the background or disappears completely. His coaching staff has felt the same, moving him into the press box at times during his rookie campaign, and ultimately demanding more from him on a game-by-game basis.

This year will be a telling one. Mantha comes into the year after scoring 17 goals and 36 points in just 60 games, but even their distribution showed his inconsistency. Seven goals and fifteen points came in a 12-game span in the middle of the season, where he showed off just how forceful he can be with the right work ethic. He would score just 14 points in the remaining 32 games.

Now, with the Red Wings pivoting towards their youth and a sort of on-the-fly rebuild, Mantha must be better. At 23, the time is now for him to prove that he can be more than just a secondary scoring threat, and team up with other youngsters like Dylan Larkin to bring the next wave of Detroit success.

Key Storyline: Last year after the Red Wings fell out of contention, they did something they hadn’t done in some time. At the trade deadline, they moved Brendan Smith, Tomas Jurco and Thomas Vanek for future assets. That idea of selling mid-season is something almost entirely foreign to this generation of Red Wings fans, as the team hadn’t missed the playoffs since 1990.

Going into this season with a new arena and new hopes, the team will have to make a similar decision. If they aren’t competing for a playoff spot in early 2018, selling off some assets is a necessary next step. Though they’re expected to struggle once again, the team is over the cap and used some of their room to bring in a veteran Trevor Daley. That move seemed to show that they weren’t willing to go for a full rebuild, at least not yet.

While there is certainly upside in parts of their roster, players like Mike Green, Gustav Nyquist and Jimmy Howard are all unlikely to be around for the next great Red Wings team. Moving on from them whenever they can would help both the salary structure and the on-ice product down the line. Green especially will be a sought-after commodity at the trade deadline as he heads towards free agency, as the 31-year old can still provide offense from the back end. He has a full no-trade clause that would have to be worked around though, taking away some of the Red Wings’ leverage in trade talks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Green, Reway, Djoos

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Red Wings defenseman Mike Green is the highest paid blueliner that is currently slated to hit the open market next summer with a salary and cap hit of $6MM.  Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke with an agent regarding what Green’s next contract should cost.  Although Green doesn’t exactly have the reputation of being a particularly strong defensive player, he has consistently been a strong offensive producer and between that and his right-handedness, he could still be in line for a contract around $4.5MM.

Detroit already has just shy of $20MM committed to their back end for 2018-19 as things stand so locking Green up on a new deal wouldn’t allow them much flexibility in terms of trying to upgrade what is already not a strong unit.  Accordingly, if they find themselves out of the playoff race by the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Red Wings offer him up as a rental player.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • After missing all of last season due to a heart condition, Canadiens prospect Martin Reway is set to suit up in Montreal’s upcoming prospect tournament, notes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. The former fourth round pick averaged better than a point-per-game in stints in the Czech Extraliga and the Swiss NLA back in 2015-16 and will likely start in at the AHL level this season.
  • Although he was given a mandate to bulk up over the offseason, Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos checked in at almost the same weight he did last training camp, writes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. The 23-year-old finished third in AHL scoring by blueliners last season and is expected to contend for a roster spot following the departures of Nate Schmidt, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Karl Alzner.  However, at just 168 pounds, Djoos stands to be one of the leanest NHL defenders which could be a concern against stronger competition.

Red Wings Notes: Abdelkader, Sheahan, Green

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WDIV’s Dave Bartkowiak lists five Red Wings who need to dramatically improve this season in order for Detroit to return to the playoffs. Justin Abdelkader, Danny DeKeyser, Dylan Larkin, Gustav Nyquist, and Riley Sheahan are the players he points to as needing to raise their games in 2017-18. Of the four forwards, Bartkowiak is insistent that the defensive aspect of Larkin and Sheahan’s game must improve. He adds that Sheahan shouldn’t have ice time “dished out” to him with such a poor shooting percentage and his inability to find the net. Such a fact was a consistent gripe all season, as Sheahan continued to log minutes on the power play despite not scoring a single goal until the final game of the season. Abdelkader, who Bartkowiak calls a leader on the team, believes Abdelkader is a 20-goal scorer if healthy. A look at the trend of Abdelkader’s stats, however, point to a player who benefitted from having Pavel Datsyuk on his line in 2014-15. A glance at his entire career where he played 40 or more games, Abdelkader produced more than 30 points only twice. Out of those eight seasons, he recorded just one twenty-goal season, though he had 19 in 2015-16. Regardless, asking for another 20-goal season may be a bit much based on past performance.

  • Mike Green was recently profiled by NHL.com’s Dana Wakaji who writes that the defenseman has been the offensive presence on the blue line that Detroit envisioned when they signed him two offseasons ago. The 32-year-old probably won’t hit the 70+ point campaigns he’s had in the past, but Wakaji adds that he’s a valuable offensive asset for a team starving for goals from its defensive pairings. Heading into the final year of his contract, Green could also be a prime trade chip should the Red Wings not be in the playoff hunt for a second consecutive season.

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